Salaam Talking of Makka, the embassy today refused to hand out our visas. It has arrived but they have been holding onto for the past 2 weeks. So I dont think I will be leaving tomorrow as planned

Salaam Why isnt Hassan Butt arrested? After all he confessed to plotting and aiding the 'enemy'.

Hey J I love oodkac with canjeero and shaahi. Or oodkac with timir and xalwo la isku rifaajiyey. I will bet you eat oodkac and beer (liver, not khamro) daily basis.

I am off on Friday inshallah. Shaqada xoogoo wey ii fududaatey. Workload is considerably less as i worked all through the weekend from 9am to 10pm. When are you off Muniira?

Salaam I am eating oodkac from somalia as i speak..for lunch. It is qado fudud

You are all very kind. I just realised that I purchased a domain from rubbish webhost. www.freeparking.co.uk The choice they give is quite limited. So If anyone can recommend a good webhost, I would appreciate.

Salaam A quick visit.. Here you can find out, if you can spot out fake or true smiles on a face of a human. Spot The Fake Smile Some of you maybe more cynical than others ..ahem ahem Xan!ahem!thus!

Salaam I have bought the domain name but I want to set up 2 or 3 page website. Nothing fancy. Just 3 pages of info of what we do, we were are based at etc etc. Where do i start? PS: Please dont bamboozle me with spurious technical jargon. Layman terms would suffice.

Kool Heestaa wey igu warwareegeysa how it sounded. I cant recall. Who know this song: Jamaadee Jamaade Wax jacely la dhowraa la la la la la jinnii iyo habeen qaba As you can tell, I dont know the words..so can someone post it?

Xanthus Sadly I will be returning. Cos I need to save money The Z-man Edit: I am a Somali dear, with a touch of yemen and sprinkle of barwani North You are right..It is best that I crack on now. Waa idiin soo duceyni all of you..especially for that bloke 'rudy'. So I can understand his language better.

No. Even though they have asked me to pencil in my holiday 3 weeks ago, I dropped this bombshell a week ago as this was an opportunity that I couldnt pass it up once again. Having said this, I knew that it wasnt busy month for us. Wey iga kaaftoobi kareen. Calaa kuli xaal, I will do what I can.

Zuhayla So what do you make of this verse? Dambiga waxaa dhigay Wadnahayga doqonkee Kaa doortay dumarkoo Aad daryeeli weydoo Wali daacad kuu qaba

I am off to Umrah next week. My awful bosses put a condition on me leaving next week friday..That I work weekends, evenings to finish a month's work. Not a happy bunny!

Morning All Or rather Salaam to y'all Anyhow Muniira Doncha know that Jaceylb is the man with the plan?

Salaam How is this news? We knew this...didnt we?

I love this song but I didnt know that this was what he was saying. The singer sound confused. Either he wants her or he wants her out of his life. But that is not clear from the song.

A MENACE II SOCIETY Date: Saturday 30th June 2007 Time: 11.30 am – 5.00 pm Venue: London Muslim Centre, 46-80 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1JX Topics to be covered include: Dance with the Devil, Free Love, Menace II Society. Panel of speakers includes Shaikh Khalid Yasin (USA), Br Abdul Karim Hattin (Author of From the Shadows), Ustadh Murtaza Khan (Graduate of Islamic University of Islamabad). Tickets are £10 per seat. Seating capacity is 800. Food will be provided. All brothers and sisters are welcome. For more information please contact Adal Khan: Tel: 07956 049 296 E-mail: sales@noorpro. com Website: www.noorpro. com

A close shave at the Cairo barber's By Jon Donnison BBC News, Cairo If there is one thing worse than an unfamiliar barber it is a blind one. But that is who greeted me at the door on my first trip to an Egyptian barbershop. The elderly man in his slippers gingerly led me down the steep steps off one of Cairo's bustling, traffic-infested streets and showed me into the small basement salon. I followed even more gingerly and the drone of car horns drifted away. Coiffeur Deluxe, said the sign said on the front of the shop. In fact it was anything but. Two dusty old, cracked leather chairs, in front of a grimy mirror, surrounded by dozens of multicoloured plastic bottles and jars containing dubious-looking hair products. Many of these had clearly been there for quite some time and had something of an industrial look to them. I settled into one of the chairs, brushing off the fine coating of hair beneath me. "Hairdresser come soon," my host said, and I realised to my great relief that, despite having the scissors clutched in his hand, he was only minding the barbershop until his friend, the barber, returned. The hairs on the back of my neck relaxed. The inevitable offer of tea came, and the blind man carefully felt for the small portable television in the corner of the room and switched it on. I watched and he listened as a kitsch Egyptian 1960s film crackled from the tiny box, the shrill singing voice of the garishly dressed heroine filling the salon. The mullet I have only been in Egypt two weeks but I already know that a useful motto to try to carry with you is, "Good things come to those who wait." It was an hour, three cups of very sweet mint tea and half a half-decent film before the long-awaited barber finally arrived. Adel Mohammed rather worryingly for me sported a mullet haircut, of the kind once seen on 1980s footballers. Fingers on my temples, he sized me up, threw me a toothy smile which rebounded back and forth on the cracked barbershop mirrors, and asked me, by means of an inquisitive look, what I would like. Back home in England for much of my life I have had my hair cut at the same South Yorkshire barbershop. Again, not a fancy place and certainly not deluxe. The barber there offers three cuts: short back and sides, a trim or "the general tidy-up". As a teenager I once asked for a flat top, and the non-committal reply came: "I'll see what I can do". Here in Cairo I decided to be more conservative and opted by means of hand signals for the general tidy up. The haircut itself proceeded for the most part without incident with the sound of Adel Mohammed's nimble fingers working the scissors furiously in my ears. Even the complementary shave with the cold cut-throat razor gliding across my neck produced no drama. Thread bare It was when we came to the optional extras, and I was to take the wrong option, that things took a downward turn. Adel Mohammed produced in front of me with a twinkle in his eye a long piece of fine, white Egyptian cotton and pronounced the word "fatlah" invitingly. Not having any idea what he was suggesting, I nodded apprehensively as he brushed his fingers over my eyes to close them and began to twist the thread around his fingers into a kind of lasso. I have since learnt that fatlah is an old Egyptian tradition, also known as threading, and common in India where it is called Khite. It involves twisting the fine thread in such a way that it catches on the hairs on your face. Whoever is conducting the fatlah holds one end of the thread in his hand and the other in his teeth, moving his head backwards and forward like a pigeon to tighten the thread which then rips the hairs away from the skin. Adel Mohammed proceeded to do just this, working feverishly, with some glee I suspect, first on my eyebrows, then my cheeks, before finally moving onto the tops of my ears, a place where I was unaware I even had hairs. Needless to say I do not any more. Blue murder are the two words that come to mind, like being pinched repeatedly around the face by someone who really does not like you. Be a man about it, some might say, but then if I were, perhaps I would not be having my eyebrows plucked in the first place. Needless to say, in true English fashion, I said nothing. For what seemed like an age, Adel Mohammed plucked, I winced and tried to show a stiff upper lip - mercifully no hairs there. Eventually the ordeal was over and I peeled open my tender eyes. Adel Mohammed admired his handiwork and I admired the two red raw strips of skin that surrounded my now dramatically reduced brows. I declined a final bladder-busting cup of tea and shuffled out of the shop. "Shukran," I muttered, ¿thank you," not entirely convincingly. "Anything for the weekend sir?" Adel Mohammed might have asked. "An ice pack and some dark glasses," might have been my reply." From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 23 June, 2007 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times. Three Ways to Listen From Our Own Correspondent Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6230208.stm

The Conoco Somalia Declassification Project By Keith Yearman, Posted on Sun Jun 24th, 2007 at 11:59:48 PM EST In 1992 U.S. commandos “stormed” the beaches of Somalia in what was known as Operation Restore Hope. The United States was invading Somalia to, as was told to the public, restore law and order to a country devastated by anarchy, and to feed the population. As then-President George H. W. Bush told the nation in a televised address on December 4, 1992: “I want to talk to you today about the tragedy in Somalia and about a mission that can ease suffering and save lives. Every American has seen the shocking images from Somalia. The scope of suffering there is hard to imagine. Already, over a quarter of a million people--as many people as live in Buffalo, New York--have died in the Somali famine. In the months ahead, five times that number, 1.5 million people could starve to death…There is no government in Somalia. Law and order have broken down--anarchy prevails.” Across Africa similar crises were causing mass devastation, yet U.S. Marines were not dispatched to deal with these humanitarian crises. For instance, Human Rights Watch reported on Mozambique: “…The disappearance of any form of effective government throughout most rural areas of the country has appeared to draw closer by the month. The severe drought of 1991-1992 undermined the unified command of both armies, as soldiers turned to looting and pillaging to provide for themselves. Relief agencies are already describing Mozambique as ‘the next Somalia.’” So why was Somalia the chosen country? The mainstream media applauded the administration’s efforts at humanitarian intervention, and seemingly not a critical murmur was sounded as to why Somalia was chosen over Mozambique, Ethiopia, Angola or countless other nations. A 1993 Los Angeles Times article offered a clue. This article was completely ignored by other media outlets, yet gave critical insight into an important resource Somalia had – oil. According to the article, “Nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown..." This article also called into question Conoco’s cozy relationship with the U.S. government, pointing out that the U.S. had leased its de facto embassy from the corporation. Newly-declassified State Department documents offer more evidence concerning the significance of oil behind the intervention. The documents, released in response to two Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the author, highlight the role Conoco played in the years leading up to the invasion and also briefly highlight Conoco’s support for U.S. government operations in the country. Civil war brought the downfall of Siad Barre in January 1991. The conflict prompted the U.S. and most other nations to close their embassies, and for most oil companies to cease exploration efforts. On July 27, 1990 Conoco suspended operations briefly when its security captain and a fuel truck driver were shot and killed. By April 1991 Conoco notified the State Department it was ready to restart operations. The economic gains would have been great – perhaps even surpassing Hunt Oil’s windfall in Yemen (which was pumping some 200,000 barrels per day in the late 1980s). According to a June 20, 1991 cable from Richard Barrett, then-U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, “[A source] claims to have seen an internal document of Conoco (Somalia), which states that sites in the Garoe – Las Anod area are capable of producing 300,000 barrels of oil per day…A confirmed strike could pre-empt moves toward reconciliation…It could also set off battles between clans for control of land where drilling is expected.” Conoco’s Support Conoco had long been providing support to State Department missions, from providing space on corporate aircraft traveling to Mogadishu, to housing and feeding State Department and other government employees, to even arranging security for government personnel. Some examples of Conoco’s support: • From a May 21, 1991 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi: “Two USG [u.S. government] employees would travel to Mogadishu several days after Conoco re-occupies its offices on June 4…USG employees would be welcome to stay with Conoco and would be protected throughout their stay by Conoco’s private guard service.” • From an October 9, 1991 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi: “Embassy is in daily contact with Conoco (Somalia), Ltd...During four visits by USG officials to Mogadishu over the past several months, Conoco (Somalia), Ltd. has provided the following security: USG officials are met at the airport by armed guards and escorted via convoy to the Conoco residence…USG officials move about Mogadishu as little as necessary. When they do, they are provided with armed guards. USG officials sleep and take their meals at the Conoco compound. When they leave Mogadishu, they are again escorted to the airport via convoy under armed guard…The aircraft…is in constant radio contact with the Conoco compound while in flight, which further facilitates security…” • From an October 11, 1991 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi (discussing plans for an assessment mission to arrive the following week): “Conoco, a non-USG entity, has basically given the ‘green light’ for this mission. It is not Conoco’s call to do so. Conoco security is excellent. Their guards are well-paid and well-armed…” Concerned that the security situation might deteriorate, Deputy Chief of Mission E. Michael Southwick warned “someone could get hurt. If the latter be the case, Conoco, which has no legal responsibility to protect official USG personnel, will say ‘we tried our best’ and the USG is faced with both an embarrassing political and legal dilemma. A mission of this importance may warrant the use of U.S. military or DS [Diplomatic Security Service] Security assets.” The assessment mission visited Mogadishu from October 17 – 20, 1991, ostensibly to evaluate the political and security situation in Somalia. The U.S. Embassy had been closed due to civil unrest, and the delegation was tasked with reviewing properties for a small diplomatic mission. According to the October 22, 1991 summary of the delegation: "There are, at present, few American citizens in Somalia. Conoco (Somalia), Ltd., however, anticipates re-commencing oil exploration work in southern Somalia within the next several months. According to Conoco, this would involve the introduction of 50-60 Amcit employees into Somalia. If the security situation does not deteriorate, it would be realistic to project a total presence of around 100 Amcits in southern Somalia by the middle of 1992. Such a community would justify a consular presence in Mogadishu. "There are, at present, only two US firms (Conoco and Turnkey) operating in Somalia. Others, especially in the oil sector, are considering resuming operations. These firms will sometimes require the type of diplomatic support best provided by a permanent diplomatic mission.” In early December 1992, the State Department leased Conoco’s headquarters to serve as the new diplomatic mission (technically the U.S. Liaison Office). The State Department would pay Conoco $41,260 for six months rent. As Michael Parenti noted in Against Empire, “U.S. taxpayers were paying for the troops in Somalia to protect Conoco's interests, and they were paying the corporation for the privilege of doing so." By mid-December, arrangements were made for " a letter of appreciation from President Bush to the president of Conoco for the tremendous support that Conoco as a corporation and Raymond Marchand [of Conoco (Somalia), Ltd.] as an individual have provided here." We know how Somalia turned out – with U.S. soldiers dragged through the streets, the U.S. withdrawal, and with oil companies still hungry for Somali crude. During the occupation of Iraq, with the president’s secret energy task force, high oil prices, and the unquestioned power and influence of the oil companies, both the reasons for and lessons from Somalia must be fresh in our minds.

Salaam aleykum brother Bob What an entertaining peiace, even though it was a laugh at your expense. Nomads arent known for their cowardiness so a grown man such as yourself should always have an aura of fearlessness. When He roars, the jungle is silent and trembles with terror. The air in his cheeks should impart a thundering roar whilst thumping his chest. Puffing his chest out, he strides off in search of his mate. Oh well!

I have done Tae Bo last night and jilbo iguma yaalaan this morning. Hope this makes it 100 Serenity (the mere sound of your name sends tranquility to me )

Could u be the most beautiful girl in the world? Its plain to see You are the reason that God made a girl When the day turns into the last day of all time I can say I hope y're in these arms of mine And when the night falls before that day I will cry I will cry tears of joy Could you be the most beautiful girl in the world? Could you be? Its plain to see y're the reason that God made a girl Oh, yes you are How can I get through days when I cant get through hours? I can try but when I do I see u and Im devoured, oh yes Who'd allow, who'd allow a face to be soft as a flower? oh I could bow (bow down) and feel proud in the light of this power Oh yes, oh Could you be (could you be) the most beautiful girl in the world? Could you be? Its plain to see y're the reason that God made a girl Oh, yes you are Oh yeah! (oh, yes u are) Girl (could u be? ) U must be ... oh yeah! (could u be? ) Ure the reason ... oh yeah (could) {x3} I think Shaqo la'aan ba iheyso

I think everyman should learn how to treat a lady from Joe Another classic

Exactly how these cream puffs and getorade were used?

Warka i sii hee. I loved GLADIATORS! AWUUGAA